Interviewing George from The Dartmoor Podcast - an exercise in trying stuff (and maybe not succeeding completely, but giving it a go anyway)
In my continuing attempt to edit and publish my images as quickly as possible, and to also write about my adventures (primarily to gain some sort of traction on the internet without spending any money on advertising) here’s my report on my attempt to interview George the creator/write/presenter of The Dartmoor Podcast (*not a podcast)
I should probably make a disclaimer here - you’ll no doubt have noticed that I have very little time for the various shenanigans required to get my work noticed, and that I’m pretty dismissive of those who “jump through hoops” to gain “likes” or to rage bait in order to monetise their “content” (or, worse, perpetuate their unscrupulous political goals)
I absolutely like every single person I interview, and I think their work (whatever it is) is worthy of people’s attention and that’s why I’m interviewing them, if it gets me a little bit more attention for my photography or my guiding, then it’s a bonus. Nothing more.
I will only promote people I know, either personally, or through chatting online about this and that or I’ve heard good things about them (and recommendations) from people I already have a connection with.
It’s maybe not the best way to find people to interview, and I have asked random followers on my socials to also make suggestions, but at least this method means I’m actually passing along useful information about Dartmoor People and not AI generated slop or badly researched information which is either incorrect or cobbled together and accompanied with a photograph of a pretty person and lots of vacuous
So, on 31st January 2026 I set off to meet George at Sharpitor (the one near Lustleigh Cleave).
I’ve met George before and chatted to him a lot - I like him. Check out my previous blog post about him.
I’m fairly sure I’d never been to this Sharpitor before and as a consequence I spent a good deal of time checking the best place to park and the easiest route to carry way too much equipment up a hill.
My sat nav, of course, lost connection just after I entered the “Unsuitable for lorries and wide vehicles” section of the road 😂
Having made a “not very educated” guess at the intended direction, and driving for a while, the nice lady on my phone started chatting again. Eventually, after following the instructions of said nice lady, I was pleased to see a church steeple in the distance, thinking that I had (in a roundabout way) found myself at Lustleigh. I was, in fact, back at Moretonhamstead!
After my big circular, I decided to just head directly to Lustleigh and workout where to go once I arrived.
There are some incredibly posh houses in Lustleigh (I already knew this a little from having worked as a gardener there for a while) … however, until you’ve driven around a bit, you don’t realise quite how many rich Victorians built on those hills. Warning* If you do decide to visit Lustleigh (either because of my thoroughly entertaining, witty an informative writing skills, or because a bit of the new Harry Potter series was apparently shot there 😂) Please be aware that the roads are ridiculously narrow and the angles they take to meander the steep hills means that you really should know how to reverse (and definitely should be fully aware of the width of your car) … this is (in a very roundabout way) a warning to tourists (or grockles as we call them in these parts) that you will very likely be cursed at quite a bit 🤣
The plan was to walk up to Sharpitor and then take in the view where the infamous Nut Cracker rocks used to reside - if you’d like to know more about this, your best bet is to watch the very first episode of The Dartmoor Podcast - which addresses this very issue!
Well; that was the plan; George had already said that it was a little difficult to get to, however it would definitely be free of people. On my way to finding the footpath to meet George, I’d allowed a couple to walk the narrow track before me; after I met George and we climbed to the vantage point; the same couple where relaxing exactly where we hoped to shoot the interview 🤣
Luckily George is an expert on the local geography and we were soon on our way to a few “reserve” locations.
“I make daft little documentaries on YouTube about adventures I’ve had on Dartmoor”
We eventually found a suitable spot and I set about failing to be a very good interviewer 🤣
I’m happy to say that having met George twice now, he’s a splendid gentleman. He’s more than a little eccentric (and I have checked with him that this is a description he is happy to hold).
In truth, people who are somewhat unusual and unique, indubitably make for far more interesting companions on Dartmoor and definitely make for the most interesting interviewees.
The Dartmoor Podcast (Not a Podcast)
Despite its name, The Dartmoor Podcast is actually a YouTube channel that creates "daft little documentaries" about adventures on Dartmoor, typically exploring strange geographical features or seeking out rare animals, myths and legends, or interviewing extraordinary Dartmoor people.
The channel is run by George Wall (a teacher by trade - I’m confident that many of his students will have noticed his humorous and informal approach to his content online is a result of his excellent teaching style). I think back to the teachers I liked at school, and they all have aspects of George’s unusual, fascinating and thoughtful approach to education.
He's described his work style as "far too unprofessional to keep track of" sources, often relying on notice boards, Google, and his general local knowledge. All I can say for definite is that if George is at all “unprofessional” there isn’t an adequate word to describe how I go about things 🤣
What can I expect from The Dartmoor Podcast?
Obviously the best way to decide if you like something is to try it out yourself 😂 I personally couldn’t recommend The Dartmoor Podcast highly enough, George has put his heart and soul into each and every episode and his extraordinary personality shines throughout the series.
The podcast covers a very wide and diverse array of Dartmoor related subjects, from foraging for edible mushrooms whilst avoiding ticks, Pixie Houses and whether the famous Sir Francis Drake was “a Hero or a bastard” 🤣
The YouTube channel has developed it’s own dedicated fanbase, appreciating it’s quirky, informal style and it’s unique approach to exploring Dartmoor. It’s not just as a guide to Dartmoor’s wonderful landscapes, it’s more a curator of its stories, myths, folklore, geology, politics … the list is endless 😍
George has a knack for uncovering hidden details and for delivering those details in a his splendid and incredibly personable tone. Thoughtful, warm, and rich with personal connection as well as random, sometimes idiosyncratic facts or thoughts. Whether you are a gnarly old veteran of trapsing across the bogs and grasses of Dartmoor or a visitor from far off lands looking to learn about this incredible landscape, you’ll find something to tickle your fancy in The Dartmoor Podcast (*Not a Podcast) 🤣